Encyclopedia Of Arto

Brasillian samba infused atonal Da Da’esque abstract No Wave noise ballads and primal scream. Huh? You bet: Arto Lindsay formed a band in mid 70’s NYC called DNA that set a new standard in rock/music with a completely disjunct approach to rhythm and atonal approach to melody and vocals that are closer to a primal scream or last gasp. Lindsay influenced a new generation of musicians, without him there’d be no David Byrne/Talking Heads, Ranaldo/Moore Sonic Youth, Mark Ribot and the noise pop-rock that evolved from them that we enjoy today. His influence cannot be overstated (and everyone who calls themselves a College Radio DJ should be familiar with him).

This album is a collection of works 1996-2004. Born and raised in Brasil, Lindsay turns to his early influences of Samba, Bossanova and adds his own “twist”, shall we say. The 1st CD sounds like Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil on LSD, creatively mixed with electronic rhythms, even breakbeats, Portishead type downtempo. Noise infused love songs, ballads, gentle vocals and lovely guitar work. Brasillian type percussion that I suspect he’s doing with his guitar (!!) Disc 2 is a solo live performance where he reverts very much to his NYC No New York approach: totally tripped out mutated mangled “songs”, incredible like only Arto Lindsay could conjure. Listen. Learn.

CD1:

1) (3:12) quiet, guitar gets fuzzy and psyche, otherwise mellow trippy ballad
2) (3:45) samba feel appears w/ brasillian percussion and rhythms
3) (3:39) chill breakbeat tone
4) (4:02) bigger rockin feel w/ fuzz bass
5) (4:45) samba mixed with electronica, sung in Portuguese
6) (4:19) mellow bachelor pad smarmy
7) (4:13) portishead chill downtempo
8) (4:09) chill breakbeat undercurrent that eventually breaks through
9) (4:29) electro beats, mellow
10) (3:35) straighter beat, heavy
11) (4:59) in portuguese, samba
12) (4:02) chill loungey

CD2:

1) (4:49) DNA appears: dissonant abstract bass
2) (2:07) urgent, crazed quintessential DNA guitar
3) (3:08) lifted straight from NYC 1978
4) FCCs
5) (2:47) guitar is totally fucked up
6) (3:45) a completely fucked up Samba in Portuguese
7) (3:44) searing noisy becomes a samba
8) (1:17) noise onslaught!
9) (4:15) almost a swingy smarmy insanity
10) (3:40) strange samba, percussive guitar
11) (3:35) more percussive guitar, in Portuguese
12) (2:00) massive noise onslaught